Use of the microalga Scenedesmus obliquus to remove cadmium cations from aqueous solutions

Exploring Extremotolerant and Extremophilic Microalgae: New Frontiers in Sustainable Biotechnological Applications

Exploring extremotolerant and extremophilic microalgae opens new frontiers in sustainable biotechnological applications. These microorganisms thrive in extreme environments and exhibit specialized metabolic pathways, making them valuable for various industries. The study focuses on the ecological adaptation and biotechnological potential of these microalgae, highlighting their ability to produce bioactive compounds under stress conditions. The literature reveals that extremophilic microalgae can significantly enhance biomass production, reduce contamination risks in large-scale systems, and produce valuable biomolecules such as carotenoids, lipids, and proteins. These insights suggest that extremophilic microalgae have promising applications in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biofuel industries, offering sustainable and efficient alternatives to traditional resources. The review concludes that further exploration and utilization of these unique microorganisms can lead to innovative and environmentally friendly solutions in biotechnology.

Fluoranthene biotreatment using prominent freshwater microalgae: physiological responses of microalgae and artificial neural network modeling of the bioremoval process

Due to the intensified industrial activities and other anthropogenic actions, contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been growing at an alarming rate, turning in to a serious environmental concern. Bioremediation, as an eco-friendly and sustainable removal technology, can be used by organisms to reduce the resulting contaminations. In the present study, the ability of Tetradesmus obliquus to remove of fluoranthene (FLA) was evaluated. It was confirmed that FLA removal efficiency was managed by various environmental parameters and pH was found to be one of the most important influencial factors. The reusability of the algae in long-term repetitive operations confirmed the occurrence of biodegradation along with other natural attenuation and 10 intermediate compounds were identified in the FLA biodegradation pathway by GC-MS. As a result of physiological assays, induced antioxidant enzymes activities and augmentation of phenol and flavonoids contents, after the treatment of the microalgae by a high concentration of FLA, confirmed the ability of the microalgae to upregulate its antioxidant defense system in response to the toxic effects of FLA. An artificial neural network (ANN) model was then developed to predict FLA biodegradation efficiency and the appropriate predictive performance of ANN was confirmed by comparing the experimental FLA removal efficiency with its predicted amounts (R2 = 0.99).

An insight on pollutant removal mechanisms in phycoremediation of textile wastewater

Pollutants, including dyes and heavy metals from textile industrial discharge, adversely affect the surface and groundwater resources, and pose a severe risk to the living organisms in the ecosystem. Phycoremediation of wastewater is now an emerging trend, as it is colossally available, inexpensive, eco-friendly, and has many other benefits, with high removal efficiency for undesirable substances, when compared to conventional treatment methods. Algae have a good binding affinity toward nutrients and toxic compounds because of various functional groups on its cell surface by following the mechanisms such as biosorption, bioaccumulation, or alternate biodegradation pathway. Algae-based treatments generate bioenergy feedstock as sludge, mitigate CO2, synthesize high-value-added products, and release oxygenated effluent. Algae when converted into activated carbon also show good potential against contaminants, because of its higher binding efficiency and surface area. This review provides an extensive analysis of different mechanisms involved in removal of undesirable and hazardous substances from textile wastewater using algae as green technology. It could be founded that both biosorption and biodegradation mechanisms were responsible for the removal of dye, organic, and inorganic pollutants. But for the heavy metals removal, biosorption results in higher removal efficiency. Overall, phycoremediation is a convenient technique for substantial conserving of energy demand, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and removing pollutants.

Physiological and proteomic responses of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to arsenate and lead mixtures

Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) are frequently emitted from various sources into environment, but microbial responses to their combined toxicity have not been systematically investigated. In this study, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was exposed to two levels of arsenate (As (V), 50, 500 μg/L), Pb (II) (500, 5000 μg/L) and their mixture (50 μg/L As (V) + 500 μg/L Pb (II); 500 μg/L As (V) + 5000 μg/L Pb (II)). The growth of C. reinhardtii was inhibited more remarkably by As (V) than by Pb (II). The As stress was alleviated by Pb in the 50 μg/L As (V) + 500 μg/L Pb (II) treatment, but was enhanced upon the 500 μg/L As (V) + 5000 μg/L Pb (II) exposure, with more pronounced changes in a number of physiological parameters of the algal cells. Proteomic results showed that 71 differently expressed proteins (DEPs) in the treatment of 50 μg/L As (V) + 500 μg/L Pb (II), and 167 DEPs were identified in that of 500 μg/L As (V) + 5000 μg/L Pb (II). These proteins were involved in energy metabolism, photosynthetic carbon fixation, reactive oxygen scavenging and defense, and amino acid synthesis. Taken together, these physiological and proteomic data demonstrated that C. reinhardtii could resist the As (V) and Pb (II) combined treatments through extracellular complexation and intracellular pathways.

Putative Protein Discovery from Microalgal Genomes as a Synthetic Biology Protein Library for Heavy Metal Bio-Removal

Simple Summary

Nowadays, heavy metal polluted wastewater is one of the global challenges that leads to an insufficient supply of clean water. Taking advantage of what nature has to offer, several organisms, including microalgae, can natively bioremediate these heavy metals. However, the effectiveness of such processes does not meet expectations, especially with the increasing amount of pollution in today’s world. Therefore, with the goal of creating effective strains, synthetic biology via bioengineering is widely used as a strategy to enhance the heavy metal bio-removing capability, either by directly engineering the native ability of organisms or by transferring the ability to a more suitable host. In order to do so, a list of genes or proteins involved in the processes is crucial for stepwise engineering. Yet, a large amount of information remains to be discovered. In this work, a comprehensive library of putative proteins that are involved in heavy metal bio-removal from microalgae was constructed. Moreover, with the development of machine learning, the 3D structures of these proteins are also predicted, using machine learning-based methods, to aid the use of synthetic biology further.

Abstract

Synthetic biology is a principle that aims to create new biological systems with particular functions or to redesign the existing ones through bioengineering. Therefore, this principle is often utilized as a tool to put the knowledge learned to practical use in actual fields. However, there is still a great deal of information remaining to be found, and this limits the possible utilization of synthetic biology, particularly on the topic that is the focus of the present work—heavy metal bio-removal. In this work, we aim to construct a comprehensive library of putative proteins that might support heavy metal bio-removal. Hypothetical proteins were discovered from Chlorella and Scenedesmus genomes and extensively annotated. The protein structures of these putative proteins were also modeled through Alphafold2. Although a portion of this workflow has previously been demonstrated to annotate hypothetical proteins from whole genome sequences, the adaptation of such steps is yet to be done for library construction purposes. We also demonstrated further downstream steps that allow a more accurate function prediction of the hypothetical proteins by subjecting the models generated to structure-based annotation. In conclusion, a total of 72 newly discovered putative proteins were annotated with ready-to-use predicted structures available for further investigation.

Bioaccumulation characteristics and acute toxicity of uranium in Hydrodictyon reticulatum: An algae with potential for wastewater remediation

The bioaccumulation characteristics and acute toxicity of uranium (U) to Hydrodictyon reticulatum were studied to provide reference for further mechanism and application research. According to an analysis using visual MINTEQ software, the pH change caused by the photosynthesis of H. reticulatum leads to U remaining mainly in the species of UO₂(OH)₃^-. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis showed that the bioaccumulation of U was related to the amino and carboxyl groups, resulting in cell wall damage. Using innovative cell staining microscopic observation techniques, U was mainly compartmentalized in vacuoles and pyrenoid; chlorophyll, soluble protein, dehydrogenase activity, and other physiological responses were closely related to the U stress concentration. Especially here, the change trend of the specific activity and specific growth rate of dehydrogenase was consistent, showing low concentration promotion and high concentration inhibition. Combined with the toxic response of the two, the half inhibitory dose for 72 h was determined to be about 30 mg L^-1. When bioaccumulation equilibrium is reached at 72 h, the maximum tolerance concentration of U without affecting the easy collection characteristics of the algae is 30 mg L^-1, and the maximum U bioaccumulation capacity was able to reach 24.47 ± 0.86 mg g^-1 by dry biomass.

Disentangling the Effects of Ocean Carbonation and Acidification on Elemental Contents and Macromolecules of the Coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

Elemental contents change with shifts in macromolecular composition of marine phytoplankton. Recent studies focus on the responses of elemental contents of coccolithophores, a major calcifying phytoplankton group, to changing carbonate chemistry, caused by the dissolution of anthropogenically derived CO₂ into the surface ocean. However, the effects of changing carbonate chemistry on biomacromolecules, such as protein and carbohydrate of coccolithophores, are less documented. Here, we disentangled the effects of elevated dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration (900 to 4,930μmolkg⁻¹) and reduced pH value (8.04 to 7.70) on physiological rates, elemental contents, and macromolecules of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Compared to present DIC concentration and pH value, combinations of high DIC concentration and low pH value (ocean acidification) significantly increased pigments content, particulate organic carbon (POC), and carbohydrate content and had less impact on growth rate, maximal relative electron transport rate (rETR_max), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), and protein content. In high pH treatments, elevated DIC concentration significantly increased growth rate, pigments content, rETR_max, POC, particulate inorganic carbon (PIC), protein, and carbohydrate contents. In low pH treatments, the extents of the increase in growth rate, pigments and carbohydrate content were reduced. Compared to high pH value, under low DIC concentration, low pH value significantly increased POC and PON contents and showed less impact on protein and carbohydrate contents; however, under high DIC concentration, low pH value significantly reduced POC, PON, protein, and carbohydrate contents. These results showed that reduced pH counteracted the positive effects of elevated DIC concentration on growth rate, rETR_max, POC, PON, carbohydrate, and protein contents. Elevated DIC concentration and reduced pH acted synergistically to increase the contribution of carbohydrate–carbon to POC, and antagonistically to affect the contribution of protein–nitrogen to PON, which further shifted the carbon/nitrogen ratio of E. huxleyi.

Feasibility and comparative analysis of cadmium biosorption by living scenedesmus obliquus FACHB-12 biofilms

Microalgal biofilm has been recognized as a cost-effective biorsorbent for heavy metal and a promising method for microalgae-water separation. In this study, living suspended Scenedesmus obliquus FACHB-12 (isolated from southern China) and its biofilm with different carriers were investigated to remove cadmium from aqueous solution. S. obliquus FACHB-12 biofilm with luffa sponge carrier showed highest cadmium removal efficiency at 92.7% compared to biofilm with K3 carrier (75.3%) and significantly higher than suspended S. obliquus FACHB-12 (61.8%) in 2 h experiment with initial Cd²⁺ concentration at 3.0 mg/L at pH = 6.0 with 0.8 g/L of biomass under room temperature. S. obliquus FACHB-12 biofilm with K3 and luffa sponge carrier also demonstrated higher tolerance towards increased Cd²⁺ concentration with highest biosorption efficiency at 85.1% and 90.35% respectively under 20 mg/L of Cd²⁺, while suspended S. obliquus FACHB-12 biosorption efficiency achieved 81.4% under 10 mg/L of Cd²⁺ and started to decline over increased cadmium concentration. The adsorption kinetics for all experimental groups followed the pseudo-second-order adsorption model, with biosorption equilibrium favored in Langmuir isotherm. The maximum biosorption capacity estimated by Langmuir isotherm reached 133.14 mg/g biomass in S. obliquus FACHB-12 biofilm with luffa sponge carrier, followed by 78.76 mg/g with K3 carrier, and 60.03 mg/g with suspended S. obliquus FACHB-12. Results suggest an efficient, inexpensive microalgal biofilm with biological carrier system could enhance high cadmium removal for advanced wastewater treatment and provide a cost-effective method for microalgae harvesting process.

Phycoremediation of X-ray developer solution towards silver removal with concomitant lipid production

The present research is mainly focusing on the characterization of X-ray developer solution and its toxic tolerance studies with Desmodesmus armatus towards the phycoremediation studies for removal of pollutants, silver, and concomitant lipid production. The characterization results suggested the presence of 1.229 ± 0.004 g/l BOD, 27.29 ± 0.230 g/l COD with a silver content of 0.01791 ± 0.000 g/l. The tolerance and toxicity limits of with X-ray developer solution reveals the remarkable growth of microalgae in 3:1.dilution ratio of BBM in the X-ray developer solutions. The phycoremediation with 19 days period shown the noticeable results with a relative BOD (20.86%), COD (13.88%), with 57.10% corresponding total phosphorous removal. The phycoremediation also has proven better relative silver removal potential of 44.06% on the 19th day with concomitant 1.392% lipid production. Overall, the present study shows the potential phycoremediation strategy of hazardous X-ray developer solutions with possible concurrent lipid production through a sustainable approach.

An untargeted metabolomic approach for the putative characterization of metabolites from Scenedesmus obliquus in response to cadmium stress

Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread contaminant in aquatic systems and has a variety of toxicological implications on freshwater microorganisms. In this study, the green algae Scenedesmus obliquus was exposed to increasing Cd concentrations that inhibited growth by 20% (12.6 μmol L^-1), 30% (39.8 μmol L^-1) and 40% (83.2 μmol L^-1) and the metabolite profiles of released and cellular biomolecules were explored using an untargeted direct infusion high resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry approach. In Cd untreated cultures, intrinsic differences in composition existed between released biomolecules and freeze-dried cells. Based on putatively characterized compound groups, a greater proportion of Cys-GSH isomers and carboxyamides were present in exudates whereas sugar isomers and phosphonic acids comprised most cellular metabolites. In cultures exposed to 83.2 μmol L^-1 Cd, an overall shift in metabolomic response across both released biomolecules and cellular components resulted in an increase of lipid-based esters, and Cys-GSH isomers. These two important metabolites are used in antioxidant defense mechanisms and reactive oxygen species prevention during cellular stress. The diversity of metabolites also decreased as Cd concentrations increased when compared to untreated cultures, suggesting that overall metabolites specialize upon metal stress. We show systemic shifts from sugar and carboxylic isomers to specialized proteins and lipid isomers to help S. obliquus cope with stress. These findings highlight the potential use of this green algae as a potential biosorbent and sheds light into the metabolomics of Cd toxicology and insights into microbial metal adaptation.

Effects of carbon nanotubes on the toxicities of copper, cadmium and zinc toward the freshwater microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus

Due to their unique structure and properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) released into the aquatic environment can potentially influence the behavior of other coexisting pollutants, thereby altering their toxicity to aquatic organisms. In this study, the toxicities of multi-walled CNTs and three heavy metals, copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) were determined individually. Following this, CNTs with low concentrations (1 and 5 mg/L) were co-exposed with Cu, Cd or Zn to the microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus, to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of CNTs on metal toxicity. Results showed that CNTs, especially at a concentration of 5 mg/L, promoted algae growth and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency via increasing exciton trap efficiency and quantum yield for electron transport. Introduction of CNTs appeared to alleviate the adverse effects of Cu, Cd or Zn on microalgae, indicated by algae growth, total chlorophyll content and photosynthetic indices. However, these effects differed greatly for different metals, depending on both the toxicity of each metal and the exposure period (4 day and 8 day). Enhancement of photosynthesis and interference of metal uptake by CNTs, have a crucial role in the effects of CNTs on metal toxicity.

Optimization of heavy metal biosorption onto freshwater algae (Chlorella coloniales) using response surface methodology (RSM)

In this study, the interaction of the initial metal concentration, time of reaction and Chlorella coloniales algae dose were taken for the biosorption of Cr, Cd, Co, Fe and As from aqueous solutions using the Box-Behnken design. The regression equation coefficients were calculated and the data confirmed the validity of second-order polynomial equation for the removal of Cr, Cd, Co, Fe and As with Chlorella coloniales algae. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination value (R²) for Cr, Cd, Co, Fe, and As, being respectively 0.998, 0.998, 0.995, 0.998 and 0.994. Heavy metal biosorption increased with the increase in time of reaction from 30 h to 100 h then smoothly steadily decreased. The biosorption capacity of Chlorella coloniales increased when initial Cd concentration was increased from 5 to 12 mg/L, and then no change was seen with further increasing in initial Cd concentration. At low concentrations of heavy metal, Chlorella coloniales showed its effectiveness for Cr, Co, Fe and As bioaccumulation, but at high concentrations of heavy metal bioaccumulation efficiency decreased Under optimal value of process parameters, maximum efficiencies for the removal of Cr, Cd, Co, Fe, and As were 97.8, 97.05, 95.15, 98.6 and 96.5% respectively. The results of the present study suggest that use of C. Coloniales algae can be a good alternative to the current expensive methods of removing heavy metals from aqueous solution.

A coumarin based highly sensitive fluorescent chemosensor for selective detection of zinc ion

A very effective and highly sensitive fluorescent chemosensor, based on 4-hydroxycoumarin skeleton substituted by benzothiazole moiety was synthesized and investigated for the detection of zinc ion. This chemosensor displays highly selective and sensitive fluorescence enhancement to Zn²⁺ over other metal ions examined in solution and in biological systems. The detection limit for the fluorescent chemosensor 1 toward Zn²⁺ was 3.58 × 10^-8 M. A simple and efficient approach was improved for the synthesis of chemosensor 1 starting from 4-hydroxycoumarin.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticle exposure reduces algal biomass and alters algal assemblage composition in wastewater effluent-dominated stream mesocosms

A 5-week mesocosm experiment was conducted to investigate the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) to periphytic algae in an environmentally-realistic scenario. We used outdoor experimental streams to simulate the characteristics of central Texas streams receiving large discharges of wastewater treatment plant effluent during prolonged periods of drought. The streams were continually dosed and maintained at two concentrations. The first represents an environmentally relevant concentration of 0.05 mg L^-1 (low concentration). The second treatment of 5 mg L^-1 (high concentration) was selected to represent a scenario where TiO₂NPs are used for photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Algal cell density, chlorophyll-a, ash-free dry mass, algal assemblage composition, and Ti accumulation were determined for the periphyton in the riffle sections of each stream. The high concentration treatment of TiO₂NPs significantly decreased algal cell density, ash-free dry mass, and chlorophyll-a, and altered algal assemblage composition. Decreased abundance of three typically pollution-sensitive taxa and increased abundance of two genera associated with heavy metal sorption and organic pollution significantly contributed to algal assemblage composition changes in response to TiO₂NPs. Benefits of the use of TiO₂NPs in wastewater treatment plants will need to be carefully weighed against the demonstrated ability of these NPs to cause large changes in periphyton that would likely propagate significant effects throughout the stream ecosystem, even in the absence of direct toxicity to higher trophic level organisms.

Phosphorus and metal removal combined with lipid production by the green microalga Desmodesmus sp.: An integrated approach

This work focused on the potential of Desmodesmus sp. to be employed for wastewater bioremediation and biodiesel production. The green microalga was grown in a culture medium with a phosphorus (P) content of 4.55 mg L^-1 simulating an industrial effluent; it was also exposed to a bimetal solution of copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) for 2 days. P removal was between 94 and 100%. After 2 days of exposure to metals, 94% of Cu and 85% of Ni were removed by Desmodesmus sp. Adsorption tests showed that the green microalga was able to remove up to 90% of Cu and 43% of Ni in less than 30 min. The presence of metals decreased the lipid yield, but biodiesel quality from the biomass obtained from metal exposed samples was higher than that grown without metals. This result revealed that this technology could offer a new alternative solution to environmental pollution and carbon-neutral fuel generation.

Testing of two different strains of green microalgae for Cu and Ni removal from aqueous media

The concentration of metal ions in aqueous media is a major environmental problem due to their persistence and non-biodegradability that poses hazards to the ecosystem and human health. In this study, the effect of Cu and Ni on the growth of two green microalgal strains, Chlorella vulgaris and Desmodesmus sp., was evaluated along with the removal capacity from single metal solutions (12days exposure; metal concentration range: 1.9-11.9mgL^-1). Microalgal growth showed to decrease at increasing metal concentrations, but promising metal removal efficiencies were recorded: up to 43% and 39% for Cu by Desmodesmus sp. and C. vulgaris, respectively, with a sorption capacity of 33.4mggDW^-1 for Desmodesmus sp. As for Ni, at the concentration of 5.7mgL^-1, the removal efficiency reached 32% for C. vulgaris and 39% for Desmodesmus sp. In addition, Desmodesmus sp. growth and metal removal were evaluated employing bimetallic solutions. In these tests, the removal efficiency for Cu was higher than that of Ni for all the mix solutions tested with a maximum of 95%, while Ni-removal reached 90% only for the lowest concentrations tested. Results revealed that the biosorption of both metals reached maximum removal levels within the fourth day of incubation (with metal uptakes of 67mgCugDW^-1 and 37mgNigDW^-1). Intracellular bioaccumulation of metals in Desmodesmus sp. was evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy after DAPI staining of cells exposed or not to Cu during their growth. Imaging suggested that Cu is sequestered in polyphosphate bodies within the cells, as observable also in phosphorus deprived cultures. Our results indicate the potential of employing green microalgae for bioremediation of metal-polluted waters, due to their ability to grow in the presence of high metal concentrations and to remove them efficiently.

Naphthothiazole-based highly selective and sensitive fluorescent and colorimetric chemosensor for detection of pollutant metal ions

The presented small molecule sensor can be used successfully for selective detection of Zn²⁺ and Sn²⁺ ions in aqueous media.

Microalgae - A promising tool for heavy metal remediation

Biotechnology of microalgae has gained popularity due to the growing need for novel environmental technologies and the development of innovative mass-production. Inexpensive growth requirements (solar light and CO2), and, the advantage of being utilized simultaneously for multiple technologies (e.g. carbon mitigation, biofuel production, and bioremediation) make microalgae suitable candidates for several ecofriendly technologies. Microalgae have developed an extensive spectrum of mechanisms (extracellular and intracellular) to cope with heavy metal toxicity. Their wide-spread occurrence along with their ability to grow and concentrate heavy metals, ascertains their suitability in practical applications of waste-water bioremediation. Heavy metal uptake by microalgae is affirmed to be superior to the prevalent physicochemical processes employed in the removal of toxic heavy metals. In order to evaluate their potential and to fill in the loopholes, it is essential to carry out a critical assessment of the existing microalgal technologies, and realize the need for development of commercially viable technologies involving strategic multidisciplinary approaches. This review summarizes several areas of heavy metal remediation from a microalgal perspective and provides an overview of various practical avenues of this technology. It particularly details heavy metals and microalgae which have been extensively studied, and provides a schematic representation of the mechanisms of heavy metal remediation in microalgae.

Influence of hydrogen cations on kinetics and equilibria of heavy-metal sorption by algae-sorption of copper cations by the alga Palmaria palmata (Linnaeus) Weber & Mohr (Rhodophyta)

The influence of hydrogen cations on kinetics and equilibria of sorption of copper cations by the marine alga Palmaria palmata (Linnaeus) Weber & Mohr was studied under static conditions. The competitive effect of the H⁺ cations is described, which influenced the uncertainty of evaluation of the alga sorption capacity. Under static conditions, the variation of the Cu²⁺/H⁺ concentration ratio during sorption was found nonmonotonic. The Langmuir isotherm model was used to determine the sorption capacity of the alga, namely 12.4 mg g^-1 of dry algae mass. A similar value was determined from the kinetic parameters of the ionic exchange which is considered a pseudo-second-order chemical reaction. The consistent results indicated that the mathematical models used correctly described the equilibria and kinetics of the ionic exchange between algae and solutions.

Biosorption of Cd(II) from aqueous solution by Pseudomonas plecoglossicida: kinetics and mechanism

In our present study, we investigated the mechanism of Cd(II) biosorption from aqueous solution by Pseudomonas plecoglossicida using different instrumental techniques. The adsorption kinetics fitted well with the pseudo second-order model, suggesting that the Cd(II) adsorption by P. plecoglossicida consisted of a chemisorption and a physisorption process. Compared with the dead P. plecoglossicida cells, the live cells demonstrated the same adsorption capacity of Cd(II). Scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that the main mechanism of adsorption was the combination of Cd(II) with the organic functional groups in the cell wall of P. plecoglossicida. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of the metal-loaded biosorbent confirmed the participation of -NH, -OH, -CH, and -CONH groups in the uptake of Cd(II). Moreover, cation transport test revealed that ionic exchange interactions were involved in the Cd(II) adsorption. However, it only played a minor role in the Cd(II) biosorption process.

Metal uptake by microalgae: underlying mechanisms and practical applications

Metal contamination of a few aquatic, atmospheric, and soil ecosystems has increased ever since the industrial revolution, owing to discharge of such elements via the effluents of some industrial facilities. Their presence to excessive levels in the environment will eventually lead to serious health problems in higher animals owing to accumulation throughout the food web. Current physicochemical methods available for recovery of metal pollutants (e.g., chemical precipitation, oxidation/reduction, or physical ion exchange) are either expensive or inefficient when they are present at very low concentrations. Consequently, removal of toxic metals by microorganisms has emerged as a potentially more economical alternative. Microalgae (in terms of both living and nonliving biomass) are an example of microorganisms suitable to recover metals and able to attain noteworthy percent removals. Their relatively high metal-binding capacities arise from the intrinsic composition of their cell walls, which contain negatively charged functional groups. Consequently, microalgal cells are particularly efficient in uptake of those contaminants when at low levels. Self-defense mechanisms developed by microalgal cells to survive in metal-containing media and environmental factors that affect their removal (e.g., pH, temperature, and biomass concentration) are reviewed here in a comprehensive way and further discussed in attempts to rationalize this form of remediation vis-a-vis with conventional nonbiological alternatives.

Expression and inducibility of endosulfan metabolizing gene in Rhodococcus strain isolated from earthworm gut microflora for its application in bioremediation

The metabolizing potential of a bacterial strain Rhodococcus MTCC 6716, isolated from the gut of an Indian earthworm (Metaphire posthuma) was studied for endosulfan bioremediation. In the present work, the optimum conditions for the maximum growth, kinetic of endosulfan degradation, regression equation, half life and correlation coefficient were studied. Endosulfan induced alterations in the expression of mRNA and protein of specific endosulfan metabolizing marker gene (Esd) was studied. Maximum growth of bacteria was observed at pH 7.0, 30°C and 0.085 M sodium chloride concentration in a liquid culture medium. Endosulfan was degraded by Rhodococcus strain up to 97.23% within 15 days without producing toxic metabolite and with strong correlation coefficient (-0.728) and half life 5.99 days. Endosulfan degradation was mediated through gene(s) present in genomic DNA. Expression of marker gene was found endosulfan concentration dependent. The results suggest that this novel strain (Rhodococcus) may be utilized for bioremediation of endosulfan.